Whereupon two young men presented themselves, and one of them said, “I have the honor to put the first question—What do you know?”
Aleph smiled.
“Excuse my smiling,” said he, “at the exceeding largeness of your question, if I attempt to answer it, I must begin with confessing that my knowledge is very limited. Compared with what there is to be known, it is practically nothing; compared with what I wish to know it is very trifling indeed; perhaps further examination may show that it is also very trifling in comparison with what some of my fellow-students know,” and he bowed to the young men. A ripple of laughter went through the room.
“If you find my associate’s question,” said the other member of the committee, “a little too large to be manageable, perhaps you will tell us what you already know of the various branches of knowledge preliminary to those studied here. Doubtless you have informed yourself as to our curriculum; it not being considered in general a wise thing to leap into the dark.”
“This question,” returned Aleph, “is not indeed as broad as the other; but still it would be hard to give you a satisfactory answer (I mean one satisfactory to yourself, for this I could wish to do) unless you will tell me what branches of knowledge you consider preparatory to this Institution. I fancy there might be a difference of opinion as to that matter—after setting aside a few elementary things. I can read and write and speak the Greek and Latin languages after a fashion: have such acquaintance with the literature in these tongues as, I should hope, would enable me to understand such references to them as may occur in your lectures; have also had some little practice in moral and mathematical reasoning, sufficient, I should hope, for understanding a good argument when presented. Is there any further preparation needed? I have indeed heard (what I suppose to be true) that a little knowledge of religion—some just and clear ideas of Deity and duty and responsibility—is a good thing in the way of preparation for university life. In regard to that sort of knowledge, I can only say that if I do not possess it the fault does not lie with my parents or other teachers” (he slightly inclined his head toward Cimon). “They have done their duty. But perhaps my questioner does not lay any stress on this last sort of knowledge as a valuable preliminary to the speculations and associations of college life. It is even possible that he considers it a decided disadvantage. I know that such views are sometimes found among students.”
Aleph had drawn his bow at a venture. But the broad wave of laughter that now swept through the hall assured him that somebody had been hit. Was it not the questioner himself, whose color had sensibly deepened?
His mate took up the broken thread. “Certainly we did not all come here with as good a preparation as that: but perhaps you have done more than the preparatory, and already know considerably of the branches of study which engage us here. Such advanced students often come to us for various reasons.”
“I cannot say,” returned Aleph, “that I am altogether ignorant of the subjects discussed here. It has been my good fortune to have as teacher one who in his youth passed much time in both the Athenian and Alexandrian schools. And he has attempted, not as successfully perhaps as he could wish, to put his own knowledge into his pupil. What I know I owe to him and my parents: what I do not know I owe to myself. Certainly I do not come here because I know so much, but because I know so little. I hope to enlarge my knowledge, such as it is. In thirty years not a few changes must have taken place here—new teachers have come to the front, new ways of presenting and illustrating old truths are used, and it is barely possible that some things then considered branches of knowledge are now known to be branches of ignorance. So I hope to profit. Is this satisfactory? or would the committee like to have me explain a syllogism, epitomize Plato or Aristotle or Zeno, or expound the astronomy of Pythagoras?” just the glimmer of an amused expression stealing from his eye.
“Not either of these,” answered the committee. “Doubtless you are well prepared on what you voluntarily offer. Allow us to ask you for something which, as it is wholly unprecedented on such occasions as this, you can hardly have made special preparation for. We will ask you for an epitome of the lecture to which we have just listened. This is a compliment we owe to our venerable teacher who, I think, has never before honored us with his presence on a similar occasion.”